The large transport ship was almost submerged in the water. During the long voyage, the people wearing it prayed that there would be no storm.
Arik and his people just want to return to Roseburg on the other side as soon as possible and live a comfortable life with their treasure.
After all, the weather is unpredictable, the sky is getting darker and the rain is falling in drizzle.
This group of several hundred people had no choice but to take shelter on an unknown island in the Åland Islands. But once they stopped, facing the still hazy sky, they continued to take risks, even if not far ahead was their long-lost home.
Until this time, they showed off the flag of the Ross tribe, and the dyed totem made the nearby fishermen heave a sigh of relief in surprise.
The rain was short-lived, but everyone's attitude was very consistent, that is, the ship must wait until the sun is seen before the ship can continue sailing.
For people who have just experienced a battle not long ago, it is also a good thing to find a safe place to rest.
Even for many, they controlled the captive women and had sex with them again.
They don't care about the Gotland status of these women. They need money and a wife. They are eager to have their own sons. If possible, this abducted woman must give birth to ten sons for herself!
Everyone can get a large share of the looted materials, and the once slightly poor life will definitely be improved.
Once upon a time, having too many children was a disaster for a family because they simply did not have the financial resources to raise so many children.
The so-called raising children, in the final analysis, means eating. Now that there is more money in the bag, the food problem seems to be solved.
On average, each person received more than two hundred silver coins. For these young people who were just starting out, their minds were shocked, and they accepted the reality of receiving a huge sum of money in shock.
The initial success made them forget about the fallen on the battlefield.
Everyone stormed the shore to build wooden shacks to protect them from rain and wind, lit bonfires, and discussed the possibility of continuing the crusade against the Gotlanders next year.
On the third day of landing and rest, the stench from the ship transporting the bodies of the dead finally alerted this group of guys whose thoughts had changed from revenge to robbery.
Stink means poison!
Even if it was his brothers who died in battle who gave off the stench.
The sky was still hazy. Nearly seventy brothers died in one action. In the cool north wind, Arik felt an unbearable desolation.
He covered his mouth and nose with his sleeves and led several of his brothers to inspect the boat containing the corpse. They pulled back the canvas that had been covered for a long time, and everyone saw the black and purple face of the corpse, as well as the stench that hit their faces.
Arik looked down at everyone on the battlefield and killed the enemy until his face was covered in blood. He was not afraid.
Arik sat on the ground in shock, and it took him a while to recover.
He stared and stood up slowly, holding his chest, then holding on to the hilt of his sword, he hurriedly found Harold Zuosen.
"What's the matter with you? Did you see a worldly python at the beach?" Haro Zuosen gnawed on the baked wheat cake and held a woman's neck with one hand.
After looking at Arik, Harold Johnson lightly kicked another woman who continued to bake cakes on the hot stone. "You go bake another one and make one for my child."
Because in terms of age, Haro Zuosen is indeed one generation older than Arik.
Arik immediately sat down and was roasted by the campfire for a while, his spirit still calmed down.
"What's going on?" Harozov continued to ask.
"It's...it's those corpses."
"Huh? It's really strange. You killed so many enemies on the battlefield, and now you are afraid of corpses?"
"No! No." Arik raised his head suddenly, with fear still in his eyes. "Those are our brothers, they died. But they...their souls really went to Asgard? Their faces were gray, as if they had gone to the underworld. They are no longer our brothers, just Like...an evil spirit from the underworld.”
After hearing this, Haro Zuosen put down the wheat cake and reached out to knock Arik on the head.
"Hey! Silly boy, what are you thinking about? You haven't seen a corpse that has been dead for a long time. What else do you think of the underworld? They are still your brothers, just because we didn't bury them early."
Arik's words gave Haro Zuosen a wake-up call. Looking at the child's frightened face, he believed that the people he led would soon know the news.
"It seems we must take action." Harold Zuosen stood up and motioned to the two captured women to continue making wheat cakes, while he shook his neck: "Aric, go and find as many brothers as possible, let's go to the beach."
After a while, more than two hundred people gathered, and they soon saw those horrific corpses.
The gray-black face was truly terrifying, and the stench caused many people to cover their noses.
Even though Harold Johnson was not good at words, he still shouted at the top of his lungs in the north wind: "Don't be afraid! These are our brothers! We should have returned to Rossburg to bury them, but now, we must bury them." Now, let’s take our tools and dig graves for our dead brothers.”
Harold Johnson's orders were carried out.
The young warrior pulled some strips of cloth, covered his mouth and nose with the salty seawater, and then dragged out the bodies of the deceased in a reasonable manner.
Bearing the stench and witnessing the pus and blood oozing from the wounds, the warriors carried the bodies of their comrades on the cut canvas. The body was temporarily wrapped in canvas, forming a draggable shroud.
They made do with small shovels and even axes kept in the boat to dig shallow pits.
The boat specially used to hold the corpses was also chopped into pieces with axes.
According to the usual funeral, the deceased is placed in a small boat, and the entire boat is filled with earth. This boat is the coffin of the deceased.
Time was running out, and the Russians did not give up the body of their dead brother. They decided to leave the deceased on this unknown island, with only uneven wooden boards sticking to the pit, pretending it was a boat.
The body was placed in it.
Now that a batch of gold coins had been snatched, no one raised any objection to using the gold coins as funerary objects.
Each black corpse had two silver coins stuck on its eyes and ten silver coins on its body.
Although he did not know the weapons of the deceased, Harold Johnson instructed that an axe, an iron sword, and a suitable helmet must be placed in each tomb.
In this way, the dead warrior lies in his wooden boat, and the black soil fills the tomb. People believe that even if the soul of the deceased is not selected to go to Asgard, he can continue to row the boat in the underworld and meet the unknown. of monsters to fight.
Finally, a rock from the seaside was erected on top of the seal as a tombstone. There is a stone on every tomb.
For a time, a huge cemetery appeared in the woods, where more than sixty war dead rested forever.
Until dark the living men finished the work.
After doing this work, everyone was in a bad mood.
Another night, they washed their hands at the beach and went back to their campfires to talk about burying their bodies.
Perhaps it was really because he was buried in peace that Arik's originally depressed heart felt much more relaxed now.
His tired body was roasted by the bonfire, and his stomach was filled with wheat cakes in his hand.
He said to Harold Johnson, who was still obsessed with women: "Now many brothers are buried here. Now that we have done this, we can no longer abandon them."
"I already understand what you mean, and I have the same idea as you."
Arik sighed slightly: "Is it really appropriate for us to build a stronghold here?"
"What's inappropriate?"
"This matter has not been approved by the big leader." Arik reminded.
Harold Zuosen nodded slightly, and then smiled bitterly: "Even if Otto is here, he will agree with your decision and mine."
"real?"
"The warriors who died in the battle are buried here. Since this place is an unclaimed land, we Russians occupy it. Because of the tomb, this should be our stronghold in the future. We should even leave some people behind, really to establish this island as a stronghold."
After hearing these words, Arik felt that they made sense.
Looking at Harozov's old face, he seemed to think there was something profound in it.
"Uncle, when we establish a stronghold, we shouldn't look at the graves of the dead." Arik asked.
"Of course. We do need a new base. Arik, the large fleet led by your uncle will soon return carrying supplies and even a large number of Novgorod women. Why not find a resting place on the long voyage? I have followed the big leader and your uncle on many expeditions. In the past, we would just randomly find a beach to stop and rest.
Especially seven years ago, that damn fog made us lose our way.
It was because we rested on the wrong island and were discovered by Gotland fishermen that your biological father died in the battle. "
Sad things immediately entered Arik's mind.
Suddenly, the young man who had just grown up suddenly remembered why he was so frightened that he fell to the ground when he saw the horrific corpse not long ago.
Because of his biological father Ogier.
The blackened corpse of his biological father was brought back by the tribe. The horrific scene really stimulated Arik's young heart.
Relatives die in the war, and children either become dull and timid, or become aggressive and aggressive. Arik falls into the latter category.
Arik selectively forgot about his biological father's terrifying face until he saw the new corpses that had been piled up for a long time, and the terrible memory was instantly awakened.
Harozolson looked at Arik thoughtfully, and then continued: "Establishing a stronghold would be of great benefit to us. This way our people don't have to sail for ten consecutive days to Novgorod! We can Pile supplies here early and build a port. In this way, starting from this island to Fort New Rose will only take up to four days of sailing. My child, can you really understand the benefits of this?"
"I……"
Does Arik understand? No. He actually didn't know very well. In any case, Arik's world view was still narrow, even if he had been to Novgorod for a thousand years.
"You are really too young." Haro Zuosen shook his head, and then reminded in particular: "The distance from here to Gotland is only three days' sailing at the shortest. Boy, we can obviously hoard troops on this island. We can organize a fleet at any time. , and go to Gotland to plunder again. In the future, plundering will be the norm, and the enemy can only passively accept it."
As he said that, Haro Zuosen's eyes flashed with lust for wealth: "Child, is just one heroic feat enough? You can obviously do greater things."
Arik's sitting body was shaken up. He felt that the old guy's implicit message was to encourage him to fight for the position of leader.
Competing with his cousin for position?
If it were other tribes, brotherly rivalries abounded. But in the Ross tribe, Rurik was the one blessed by Odin!
Arik shook his head: "I love my brother."
Haro Zuosen immediately understood what Arik meant: "Alas. I'm not asking you to compete with your brother for position. You and others are not qualified. If you dare to compete with the Son of God for power, you are thinking that you have not died enough. Tragic. I mean, you can be an excellent war leader in the future, and your brother will be our big leader.
Listen, before Aric grows into a true warrior, our tribe needs a bravest man to lead us to victory in all external battles. This person is you! "
Hearing this boast, Arik couldn't help but feel elated.
In this way, without Otto's approval, the two generals who attacked Gotland made the decision to establish a Russian settlement on the unnamed island.
But the decision was made, and the nameless island got a name.
The next morning, the sky condition was still not good, and everyone was still worried about sudden strong winds and heavy rain on the future journey.
People's worries are not unreasonable. Harold Zuosen himself is an old guy with a calm mind. It is for this reason that he was appointed by Otto to be the war leader, the so-called "general", to deter young people from being reckless.
Harold Johnson would not criticize the so-called timidity of young people. After dinner, he ordered everyone to gather and explain a major decision to everyone.
He stood on a low raised rock on the beach, facing a group of young people with blond hair, and explained his decision to establish a stronghold in detail.
He even emphasized the strategic value of the stronghold, especially that with this stronghold, the army would be able to frequently attack Gotland in the future.
Harold Johnson boasted of his exquisite logic.
The reason is that this small island is located in the north of the Åland Islands, and there are some small fishing villages of the Melalen tribe in the south of the islands.
In this way, the stronghold can be retreated, attacked, or defended.
If the enemy finally decides to fight back, the first thing the enemy will have to face is the massive Melalen tribe who will fight back bravely. At that time, the Ross tribe participated as allies. The alliance forces formed must be stronger than the enemy! In this way, in the possible new war, the young people of Russia can gain both fame and fortune. Isn't it wonderful?
After all, Harozolson's so-called convenience of plundering is also to make everyone believe that the enemies of Gotland will become fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered.
The inexperienced young people listened to Harold Johnson's talk while standing on the stone, and they immediately agreed.
After all, including the evenly distributed wealth in this operation, everyone can get more than two hundred silver coins. And everyone has brought with them their own plundered wealth. If they robbed it based on their own abilities, they will not participate in the spoils-sharing meeting held back in Fort Ross.
After the weather clears up, most people still have to leave.
As for who would stay, Haro Zuosen asked those who stayed to sign up, and soon someone came forward and announced that they were willing to stay.
Who wouldn’t want to go back home to Roseburg right away?
Those who stay do have their own admirable reasons.
Because among the deceased were their brothers and brothers, life is unpredictable and the graves of relatives are here.
Besides, the young people all know the big leader's attitude towards everyone. That is, Roseburg has limited the development of the tribe, and all young people should try to get out. Everyone believed that even if they did not stay on this small island, they would go to the east to settle in Fort New Rose.
Isn’t it the right thing to stay and build a settlement and a port near the graves of our loved ones?
Eventually, more than fifty men decided to stay. Another thirty abducted women also stayed to run the settlement as "wives".
What to call the settlement?
Tombstone Island is the new name of this uninhabited island.
The name was proposed by Harold Johnson and immediately attracted everyone's approval.
In fact, this so-called Tombstone Island is a slightly larger island in the northern part of the Auckland Islands: Osundet Island. Even a thousand years later, the island is still uninhabited.
Harold Johnson was, after all, experienced in sailing, and he chose the island as a stopping point precisely because he discovered its strategic value.
Today, Tombstone Island is full of pine and oak trees, with some grassy desert areas near the beach.
Its greatest geographical advantage is that it has a fjord that is 400 meters long and about 100 meters wide. With the size of a traditional Viking longship, it is truly unique for such a miniature fjord to develop into a port!
In addition, there is another smaller fjord next to this fjord that could be developed. There are still a number of smaller islands near the island.
A large number of micro-islands serve as barriers. Even if there is strong wind, these fjords are the best shelter.
Furthermore, Tombstone Island is also close to the immigrants of the Melalen tribe at the southern end of the archipelago. Although those immigrants mainly engaged in fishing, they also cultivated a small amount of land and planted easy-to-live onions, cabbages, and vegetables such as peas. crop. As for growing wheat, the islanders did not try it.
This way the settlers could also trade with these southern allies.
The weather will eventually get better, and before the sun breaks through the dark clouds, Harold Johnson takes all the young people to start building a house vigorously.
Some young people even took off their coats, jumped into the shallow sea of the fjord, and struggled to insert felled pine trees into the mud.
The hemp ropes they carried to tie up the loot came in handy, and in just one morning, a small dock platform was built. From then on, some ships would dock at the trestle and tie ropes to wooden piles to dock smoothly.
Another group of wooden houses started to be built. Thanks to the help of a large number of people, ten simple wooden houses had been completed by the twilight reward. Although it is simple, everyone believes that it can completely protect against wind and rain.
A preliminary settlement was thus completed.
Tired people lit bonfires on the beach again, while a beautiful and magnificent red glow appeared in the west.
Some gulls were flying and singing, and the people sitting on the beach warming themselves by the fire could hear the sound of waves crashing in their ears.
Arik has been busy for another day and has eaten food. He is now quite lazy.
The magnificent red clouds in the west fully illustrate a good thing.
He said to Harozov: "It seems that we are on the day of our departure."
"Yes. It must be a sunny day tomorrow. We will set off tomorrow morning. In three days, when we see the sunset three days later. My child, we should go home."
"Oh! Go home." Arik was lying on the beach, looking at the orange sky. "My uncle and my wife should be on their way back too. I might as well go back by myself and go home..." Go find my brother. I want to tell him about my achievements as an elder brother on Gotland."
"I have to say. You really need to educate your brother. Once upon a time, you lived as brothers." Haro Zuosen reminded. "Do you understand? A leader must have excellent fighting ability. You have killed many enemies, so you should tell your brother some experience. Help him become a good leader in the future."
"I understand! That's it." Arik held the back of his head with his hands, "I miss my Peravina. Ah, I will be a father soon. I hope she can give me a son."
"Son? What if it's a daughter?" Haro Zuosen deliberately teased.
"Daughter?" Thinking of this, Arik's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately said, "They are all my children, and I raise them. Some people throw their daughters into the woods north of Fort Ross to fend for themselves, but I am not one of them. Such a bad guy."
"The bad people you mentioned abandoned them because they couldn't afford to raise their children. It's different now. Arik, treat your children well. As for me? Haha." Harold Zuosen gave the order after a while, and the two women who were still making wheat cakes behaved obediently. Come over.
After a period of contact, the two young women have become completely appointed. They understood that this old guy's purpose was very simple, just to have more children. Other than that, the person meant no harm. He was even willing to provide adequate rations for himself and his daughter for this purpose.
For a moment, Harold Zuosen happily hugged the two women's necks, faced Arik and said proudly: "Life should be like this for me, because of these two women, I feel that I am young again. Arick, you are very beautiful." I will be a father soon. I think when I get to the time when the snow melts next year, I will also have two new sons."
"What if it's a daughter?" Arik retorted with a smile.
"This... haha. You are very smart." Haro Zuosen thought for a while, "Then I will choose a brave young man like you and marry my daughter to him."
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Chapter 156 Construction of Tombstone Island Stronghold
